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I like the character progression, and where the books are going. I could have lived without the last chapter I found it a bit tacky but can see why it was there. Just when I thought I knew what was going on another twist or turn would pop up. Looking forward to the next book. ( )

It has been a long wait for The Blood Mirror after reading the first three over a year ago!

But wow, was it worth the wait!

It’s hard to sum up the plot considering the book is 600 pages long and spans multiple plot-lines. But in a nut-shell: Gavin/Dazen is screwed, Kip is becoming a bad-ass leader, Alivania has become a God, Teia an assassin/spy and Karris is now known as the Iron White.

The characters have all come along in leaps and bounds. Well, apart from Gavin. As being locked in your own prison slowly going mad doesn’t result in character progression in a positive, forward trajectory.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Kip Guile, but he was my stand-out character in The Blood Mirror. He has grown into his leadership position and is prepared to do whatever it takes. Fiercely loved by the toughest warriors in the land, Kip inspires men and drafters alike wherever he goes. A true hero!

The introduction of characters meant the reader was introduced to new types of magic. I did getting lost as to who could do what, but it added another dimension to the plots – more things were plausible.

Brent Weeks is a master at blending suspense with humour. Kip is marching into war, with death and destruction all around. But a combination of themes, including potential-romance, keeps the pace steady and the reader gripped – you forget to breathe, then let it all out in a burst of laughter at the end. What more could you want?

There was only ever one chapter at a time about a set of characters. It keeps you reading, sure, but did at times felt like everything had got to big – you wanted to explore more with a certain character but instead were whisked elsewhere for another battle.

I mistakenly thought this was the last book in the series. It’s not. It’s really not. There is still so much more to come with how it was left, and I can’t wait to see where Weeks takes us next! If, like me, you’ve had a break since reading the last ones, I would definitely recommend recapping first! ( )

This is one of those books that you speed through because you're enamored with one character so you keep reading because you want to read more of his chapters, where normally you might take a break. Not that I don't like the other characters, they just seem less interesting when put side by side with Gavin Guile. I've been having a hard time deciding if these books are 4 or 5 stars, however. Perhaps the gritty darkness to the story keeps pulling me back from a five star rating. Something is, but I can't quite pin down yet what it is. This series is complex and full of twists and turns that I never see coming. I did think there were a few twists that I have to wonder at, if they were planned all along or if they evolved. I'm leaning towards the latter, with kind of throws the flow off just a little, but heck, this was supposed to be a trilogy. Now it's turned into a quintet. I can see why however. There's so much involved in a story like this. I'm very invested in seeing Kip develop more as a character and I love the magic system. I'm so looking forward to more. I just hope it doesn't take forever. It seems to be a theme nowadays for long fantasy series to have years and years last between publications. ( )

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Title: The Blood Mirror

Series: Lightbringer #4

Author: Brent Weeks

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Genre: SFF

Pages: 704

Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

The Chromeria is under attack by the White King, the former Color Prince. Andross Guile and Kara, the Iron White, unite in the face of satrapies falling away. Kip is married and besides leading attacks on the White King and learning to be a leader, he is dealing with some serious marital issues.

Gavin/Dazin [I've given up by now trying to figure it all out, he's Gavin to me] is captured by Andross and kept in the same prison he kept his brother in. Lots of things about magic, and theology, are revealed.

Teia, now playing a triple role as Blackguard, the Iron White's assassin AND as a double agent in the Broken Eye group, comes ever closer to her breaking point.

And so much other stuff that a synopsis is pointless. Just read these books.

My Thoughts:

Much like the previous books, I had a hard time getting into this one. I didn't feel like I WANTED to read this book. That lasted for until about the 10% mark and then a switch flipped and wham, I was racing along again. This exact same thing has happened in all 3 other books, so something about how Week's writes is the culprit. When I do my re-read of his Night Angel trilogy next year I'll see if happens with that as well.

I was all over the place while reading this. So the good first.

This is epic fantasy with some hardcore action. Battles, invisible assassins, magic prisons, people growing up, people realizing that they're not done growing up, tying this into a Christian world view. If you aren't looking for that though, I don't know if one would see it. Weeks uses a Bible verse or two. He also ties Orholam, and mythical fallen creatures, to God and the devil in our world. I thought it was quite cleverly done and not all shoving preachiness down the readers' throats. Kip and Tisis growing together as a married couple. It was wicked nice to see them CHOOSE to love instead of letting their feelings set the tone. Feelings do follow, but they make that choice and it impressed me. You don't see that much nowadays, with all the teen/YA angst romance crap.

Unfortunately, that leads me into the less than good.

Tisis had some sort of condition that prevented her from having sex. Weeks actually addresses the condition in an afterward, but I didn't want to read about it. I'm a pretty private person about some things and intimate matters definitely falls into that area. So to read about those issues just made me very uncomfortable. It really added to the relationship but I didn't like it.

The other thing was the continued profanity. It has bugged me since Book 1 and it will until the end.

The final problem is that now I have to wait who knows how long until the next book. Thankfully, I've got a boatload of good books to keep me distracted. Weeks tells the kind of stories I like to read and I trust he'll keep putting out good stuff for years to come. ( )

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"The Seven Satrapies have collapsed into four-and those are falling before the White King's armies. Gavin Guile, ex-emperor, ex-Prism, ex-galley slave, formerly the one man who might have averted war, is now lost, broken, and trapped in a prison crafted by his own hands to hold a great magical genius. But Gavin has no magic at all. Worse, in this prison, Gavin may not be alone. Kip Guile will make a last, desperate attempt to stop the White King's growing horde. Karris White attempts to knit together an empire falling apart, helped only by her murderous and possibly treasonous father-in-law Andross Guile. Meanwhile, Teia's new talents will find a darker use-and the cost might be too much to bear. Together, they will fight to prevent a tainted empire from becoming something even worse."… (more)